Wednesday, December 7, 2011

I have made a lot of preparations for Christmas the past few weeks including ordering online all but 5 of my Christmas gifts. Yay! I also made sure to pick out something for me on JoAnn's website during their Black Friday specials.

It's a Daylight stitching lamp and base! I got it for 50% off. I have seen these in all of the needlepoint stores that I go to, and always thought they were too much money for me to buy. I did not anticipate buying a light any time soon, but the light in my apartment stinks for stitching. I needed to do something and 50% off was too good to pass up! I have used my lamp once so far and will not go back.

This was Molly's present after her first day of doggie daycare! I was more nervous about it that she- I cried when I dropped her off!! How pathetic! She had a great time and got a good treat- a beef tendon- afterwards.

My Christmas tree! All decorated with my needlepoint ornaments!

One of my first Christmas pieces.

This is Raymond Crawford's "Joy". And my progress on the first pane. I have more progress to show on this piece now because I have been working on this non-stop! I really want to have this done before Christmas.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

I have had quite a few things return from the finisher. Although is was pricey to send everything at once, I am really enjoying seeing everything in a final form.

Before I show you the pictures, I wanted to show you all the new Starbucks winter bear. Isn't he cute??!!! I have two Valentine's Bears and the same Starbucks bear from the first Starbucks in Seattle. These bears are too sweet!

Here is my first finish! The Pink Angel! I got the black and white ribbon in France last year. I love it. There was acutaly a little debacle with the finishing and this is the second attempt with this pillow. When I got the first version back, my ribbon was nowhere to be found and the pillow was finished in a black and white print. It was not the cutest. This looks much better. I am so glad they found my ribbon and the extras are back with me.

A&M stocking ornament! SEC!!

This is not a recent finish but rather one of my first pieces. My grandma got the rocking horse piece from Merribee Needlearts near FM1960. My grandma also picked out all wool threads, which is what she used when she needlepointed. When she could not complete the piece because the holes were so small (18 count), I told her I would complete the piece. I used some of her Paternayan wool, but used a lot of different threads and stitches, thanks to Carolyn.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

I finished my October sheep on November 21st! 21 days later than I had hoped, but still will within the Halloween/ Thanksgiving/ Fall window. Now it's on to Christmas stitching! I don't like to kick Christmas projects off too early, but I think a few days before Thanksgiving is ok.

I have really enjoyed working on the sheep series, and I think I will order more next year. The fact that I have not completed all 12 months within 12 months tells me that I would not really have the time to sign up for one of the series most needlepoint shops offer. Not to mention the expense of the kits every month. Maybe in few years...

Thanksgiving went really well. My mom hosted our whole family for dinner. She had recently replaced all of the old kitchen appliances in her house (from 1989!), and she replaced the oven/microwave combo with a double oven. It was amazing!! In my future house, I really really want a double oven. I was able to make two batches of sweet potatoes and green beans in one oven and a turkey and two batches of stuffing in the next oven. AWESOME! The whole cooking process went really smoothly and painlessly. I even liked the warming feature in the lower oven. Earlier that morning, I ran the Turkey Trot near the Galleria. I only ran the 5k and not the 10k, but I think next year I will be able to run the 10k again ( I ran the 10k in 2010). We will not talk about the A&M/ Texas game- yikes!

I will leave you all with a picture of the Christmas canvas I am working on.. "Joy" by Raymond Crawford. I have talked to you all about it before, but as a re-cap, "Joy"'s sister piece "Noel" was on the cover of the December 2009 Needlepoint Now magazine, so I am following that stitch guide with modifications to accommodate the difference in the letters.

Monday, November 21, 2011

The lettering was the most difficult, but yet it was really fun and rewarding as you saw the gold chord covered by the black Fyre Works. I loved the stitches that were chosen by Gayle, my Thursday night teacher, and even though I panicked about the white getting dirty, it looks ok to me.

Monday, October 10, 2011

The first Saturday of every month, Chandail hosts a night stitch-in from 5-7. Tonight was extra special. One of the ladies from our group was celebrating two milestones- her birthday and the end of chemo. We ate her favorite foods: James Coney Island Hot Dogs and bundt cakes

We had lots of party favors. But the most special gift of all was the scarves you see everyone wearing. One of the ladies knitted all of us scarves from aqua yarn and also knitted matching chemo caps to donate to the hospital in honor of our friend.

Here is a picture of all of us stitching. A wonderful time was had by all- lots of food, laughter, and stitching.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

I have started my October goal of stitching the October Sheep by Rebecca Wood. I have chosen to stitch it with lovely pumpkin colored Impressions on the background, fluffy fleece for the sheep, and Painter's Thread for the purple hat. All of the stitches are by Carolyn Baird at the Chaparral. Here is a picture of the threads before the canvas was started.

The Rainbow Linen for the broom handle and the Silk Lame braid for the lettering will be so amazing to work with. I love Silk Lame, and I am glad it has come out in more colors over the years. This will be the third sheep of the month in my collection. I have July, September, and October. I think that next year I will have to get the rest. They are very easy to stitch and are a quick finish. Here is my progress already.

The picture below is of Carolyn's new book "Needlepointing in Your Nest". The background stitch used came from this book.

For old times sake, here is a picture of my Roll Tide &more pillow. It's really coming along. I have all of the lettering completed with memory wire; I just have to wrap it now with black thread.

Friday, September 30, 2011

DH and I moved into a new apartment and finally got internet! We decided to use ATT's UVerse service, which has been amazing, but it took almost 4 weeks for a technician to arrive to install any equipment! Since the last time I wrote, DH and I both got new jobs. We are very lucky that even in this bleak economy, we are both employed in positions we love. Because I no longer live with my mom and dad and now have my own place with DH and Molly, my stitching mojo has returned!!! I think mostly because I am not going to Dallas any more on the weekends and I have my own shows on my own TV!!!

I FINALLY (with much emphasis) finished the Melissa Shirley Scottish Santa!!! Much relief to be had! It seemed like that piece was growing! I don't think it helped that is was in my UFO pile and I had been working on it since July 2010. Yuck! Here is a picture of the finished product.

I have also made substantial progress on my Roll Tide canvas that I bought in Dallas. I am trying to finish soon because A&M went to the SEC and I cannot be needlepointing a canvas for a school that is direct competition!

A close up of the stitches is below. I am not sure of the names of the stitches but they are covering the canvas well and are a lot of fun to do.

I went shopping at Macy's the other day during, and they had a HUGE sale going on. I got a new set of Hotel collection towels- white of course- and a Christmas gift for my sister. She is getting some portmerion mugs- originally $40 but I got them for $25. How awesome! I will get her some tea and a tea pot to go with it for college. Also significant is that the mugs have a picture of Daisies on them. Daisy is my mom and dad's basset hound! How perfect!

I leave you all with a picture of Molly. She has her vet appointment in two weeks- hopefully it will go well!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

I forgot to mention in the last post that I got a new prairie schooler Christmas canvas in Lubbock at the Pocket Full of Stitches last Christmastime. (So it was in 2010!) This year I have acquired: the santa's dog, ben franklin, louis, roll tide, Massachusetts, and love: 6 total!

I also wanted to give you all a Scottish Santa Update:

From a June 2010 post:

"I have written a list of all of the canvases that I have just to make myself accountable:

Pink Angel

Henry

Ann

Katherine

Liz Basset Hound

Blue Rug

A&M stocking

Melissa shirley cardinal

Melissa shirley madonna

Joy

Marie Antoinette

Alabama A

October sheep

Melissa shirley scottish santa

Kelly Clark texas basket

Kelly Clark stitching santa

A&M santa

George and Martha

Liz Lab

Kelly Clark present topiary

Christmas lab round

St. Francis

Counted canvas heart

Chrismons- 2-3

I really want to have Joy, Alabama A, October Sheep, A&M stocking, and Pink Angel done by the end of the year."

I have gotten a few canvases done plus the "Love" canvas- 4 total for the year! Yikes!! How pathetic!! Time to get those fingers flying! My inflow is greater than my outflow! At least it is almost equal.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Despite my no- new canvas challenge for 2011, I have acquired a few throughout the year.

At a Chaparral trunk show for Petei, I completed my Marie Antoinette with a Louis XVI.

He is very handsome! A perfect complement to Marie

I aslo acquired a 5th figure for my patriotic set- Ben Franklin

Then in early February, I spotted in Dallas at the Needlepoint store on Lover's Lane, this &more canvas! I could not pass it up. I have seen the Texas team canvases, but I thought it was so perfect for my dad that I had to buy it. It was actually lying on a table like someone had picked it out to buy it and then did not. I actually had to ask the couple standing near it if they had intended to buy it. It was fate!

So far I have made a lot (compared to how much stitching I have done over the past 8 months) progress.

My sister took a trip to Boston this summer, and brought me this lovely canvas! I saw the price tag however, and I don't know if it's just me, but some canvases are getting outrageous. This one was almost $200. I have a hard time spending lots and lots of money on a canvas when it just seems so out of the ballpark price wise. I feel like a lot of Melissa Shirley's are that way too. Here is the canvas that I probably would not have purchased but it is very beautiful and I am glad that I have it. I would not trade all of the thought and effort that she made to get this for the world. I can't wait to start it.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

The moment I have been waiting for... time to announce a FINISH!!! I am so excited. It's been a really long time. I am really not sure why... maybe the fact that I haven't really gone to a lot of classes or that I like to needlepoint in front of the TV or that I have had to share a house with my parents. All of those things I think.

This canvas came from a needlepoint themed Birthday party I went to in Austin at the Needleworks. The birthday girl gave out goody bags with canvases from her stash!

I am starting a new job this week. I should be so thankful and I am, but I will definitely miss my co-workers at my old job and the job itself. Hopefully, this will be a great opportunity. It's very bittersweet.

I am going to Carolyn's class this weekend- hopefully both classes. I really want to finish the Melissa Shirley Scottish Santa. In the mean time, I purchased two *new* yet small Petei canvases. I owe you all pictures in the next post. And, I started the Roll Tide canvas I bought at Needlepoint store on Lover's Lane in Dallas.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Starting with a bit of upsetting news... Molly had to have a second eye surgery. Her tumor started to grow back in her eye, and the doctor in Dallas reccommended that she have surgery as soon as possible. As I am typing this, Molly is recovering from the surgery that she had on Thursday. She did really well. The doctor said the surgery went well. He had to laser the tumor and then freeze it, which was one more step than the last surgery. She went in at 7:30 am on Thursday the 7th, and we picked her up at 5. She came out wearing a horrid cone! Poor baby. We got her a comfy cone to replace the hard, white one that she came home with. She is recovering well, even though she hates the eye drops.

On to the happier news, I broke my "no canvases for 2011" rule and got one canvas from Creative Stitches and Gifts here in Dallas. It is so cute!! It will be my Dallas canvas and will not travel with me. It will be what I work on when I am here. Perfect to honor Molly. It will go on her crate during Christmas.

I have started a new book, The Friday Night Knitting Club. It has taken me a while to get into it. I seem to have a problem balancing reading and needlepointing... you can't do both at once! I am also running too! 3-4 miles per day. I go back to Houston tomorrow, but Molly will stay here in Dallas. I will miss my sweet princess, but I know DH will take care of her well.

Monday, July 4, 2011

A lot of progress has been made on the "Love" canvas and on the Melissa Shirley Scottish santa. And I have finished reading the Duchess! And I finished the White Queen by Philippa Gregory. I have had a busy month. I am also 1/4 of the way through with my Texas Children's Hospital commitment for the Junior League. I finish half of my Texas Children's hours in August, and then I finish the rest from December through February.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

It has been almost a year since my last post- wow. Lots of things have happened. My DH moved from South Carolina to Dallas, I have maintained my weight, I have stayed at the same job in a great place, I joined the Junior League. Unfortunately, not a lot of stitching has happened. I did finish the Alabama "A" and the Pink Angel. That's it! I drive back and forth between Dallas and Houston every weekend, so things have been busy. And.. a thing I have not done very much of since law school... reading! I have read The Help, Born to Run, and I am in the middle of The Duchess. My running has increased from 3 miles a day to 4. My sweet puppy Molly splits her time between Dallas and Houston, and she is doing really well. I am worried her eye tumor might be coming back, so she has an appointment in the next two weeks to make sure that it has not returned.

Scottish Santa

I am working on this Scottish santa, and have been for a while, for my Mom. This will be needlepoint Santa number 3 for her collection.

This is a "Hugs and Kisses" canvas that a good needlepoint friend gave me. It was part of her stash that she was clearing out for her birthday party. She gave everyone who attended a canvas that would match their personalities. How sweet!